Integrative Health Blog

If you're like me, you always root for the underdog or cheer for the little guy who stands up to the big bully. Or find inspiration in stories like David and Goliath. Well, recently I witnessed a GIGANTIC victory against the billion-dollar 'diet' industry. The same industry that's been raking in our hard earned dollars by promoting chemical-laden "diet" foods while the sheer numbers of Americans suffering from obesity and diet related health conditions has SKYROCKETED.

Weight Watchers, one of the biggest names in the weight loss industry, renounced it famous 'points' system and has instead switched to giving the advice of consuming more natural, unprocessed foods.

In the February 19, 2011 online edition of Time magazine, David Kirchoff, president of Weight Watchers International, the world's largest diet company, recently said on their website: "Calorie counting has become unhelpful. When we have a 100-calorie apple in one hand and a 100-calorie pack of cookies in the other, and we view them as being 'the same' because the calories are the same, it says everything that needs to be said about the limitations of just using calories in guiding food choices."

Yes! FINALLY! I can't tell you how much it made me jump for joy when I read this quote! All I could think was, finally! Finally the world and all the people who have struggled to lose weight and get healthy are being told THE TRUTH!!!"

You see, those of us in the field of holistic nutrition, who have advocated consuming natural, unprocessed foods, have understood all along that counting calories is simply NOT the answer for permanent, healthy weight loss!

So if you've been counting calories as a method for losing weight, you've likely been setting yourself up for frustration and failure. And if you, like so many others that have been misled, have failed to lose weight and keep it off, it's most likely not your fault. Below, I'm going to explain why this system has failed you and what you can do to find get the slim, healthy, sexy body you deserve!

WHAT'S WRONG WITH CALORIE COUNTING FOR WEIGHT LOSS?

It might seem too good to be true, but healthy permanent weight loss is not as complicated as most 'diet gurus' will have us believe. The key is to understand a few specific points:

1.) Healthy weight loss is a SIDE EFFECT of getting healthy--not calorie counting.

When you invest your time in learning how to truly nourish your body and get healthy, this is where the magic really begins. Not only can you expect to watch those extra pounds effortlessly slip away, but you can expect to see your energy levels increase, your moods become more positive and uplifted, and an overall 'upgrade' to your life and well-being. And those are just a few examples! Learning how to nourish your body and feed yourself the best possible foods for your system can RADICALLY change your whole life. Unfortunately, counting calories and true nourishment oftentimes have little to do with each other.

2.) All Calories are NOT created equally.

When it comes to weight loss, the quality of the food we eat is of utmost importance. Unfortunately, counting calories does not address the issue of food quality whatsoever. As an example, if we have 100 calories of candy verses 100 calories of nutrient dense kale leaves there's simply no question of which food will help us burn fat and lose weight and which food will actually be recognized by the body as toxic waste that the body needs to protect itself from.

Let me give you visual example here: Do you recall the old adage, "You are what you eat?" Well, close your eyes and think of two outlines: one of an overweight woman and one of a healthy weight woman. Now fill in the blank outlines: nutrient-depleted, toxic chemical laden processed food will fill your overweight outline verses natural unprocessed whole foods for the healthy weight woman.

3. Counting calories does not address the need for “lifestyle” nourishment.

Healthy food can nourish our systems but holistic nutrition recognizes that not all nourishment comes from the items on our dinner plate. When our lives are balanced with healthy relationships, satisfying careers, proper exercise and spiritual connection, we receive a type of nourishment that will benefit our health and well-being in ways that food will never be able to compare with.

So- the next time you are tempted to look at the caloric content of a food item to determine its results on your waistline, stop and ask yourself these questions:

• What will this food actually do for my system?

• Will it nourish and fortify my body?

• Or will it toxify and poison me?

• Is it really food I'm craving right now?

• Or do I need something different, like a hug from a friend, a phone call from a loved one, a brisk walk in the park... or (gasp!) a new job??!!

Before long, you'll be getting the TOXIC WASTE off your plate and out of your life for good!

Eve Colantoni, CHC a certified Health, Nutrition and Wellness Coach, chairs the Whole Foods Nutrition Department at National Integrated Health Associates. She is the founder and director of Weight Loss For Tired People.com, a whole foods nutrition, distance learning program that has helped hundreds of people lose weight and get healthy, holistically.